Liverpool are fighting to make some late signings before Monday’s deadline and have now stepped up their attempts to land a renowned international, according to reports.
Liverpool looking to sign Alexander Isak and Marc Guehi
There is no point in beating around the bush, especially when Liverpool’s double pursuit of Alexander Isak and Marc Guehi has dominated headlines for the majority of the transfer window.
Reports over the last few months have embodied many twists and turns, but recent claims suggest that Isak may be signed up at Anfield before the close of play and an imminent agreement is expected between all parties.
Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi with the FA Cup.
Aside from that, David Ornstein let some revealing information slip on Guehi’s future at Crystal Palace slip over the weekend, informing Premier League fans via The Athletic that Liverpool have submitted a £35 million bid for the England international.
With no add-ons or bonuses included in the offer, the Reds appear to be making a play in light of his contract situation in South London that could see the 25-year-old become a free agent next summer.
Making their priorities clear, Liverpool have insisted on a move for Guehi for months, and the arrival of Giovanni Leoni from Parma hasn’t changed their desire as Arne Slot looks to claim a second title in two years on Merseyside.
Shades of Coutinho: Liverpool confident of signing “special” big-money star
Liverpool are ready to close a few deals before the end of the summer transfer window.
ByAngus Sinclair Aug 29, 2025
Manchester City are also admirers of the former Chelsea man due to his excellent performances at Selhurst Park, though it appears that the Reds are his preferred destination, which is a testament to the Dutchman’s work since arriving from Feyenoord.
Now, Liverpool have received a reply to their offer in a piece of information that could offer a roadmap to Guehi putting pen to paper.
Liverpool told how much Marc Guehi will cost
According to Ben Jacobs on X, Liverpool have been told a fee of £35 million plus £5 million in add-ons will be enough to secure Guehi from Crystal Palace, who have rejected their initial proposal for the Three Lions star.
Now, it remains to be seen if FSG are willing to up their bid to seal a deal before the deadline, creating a scenario where any move will need to be made swiftly in light of Monday’s 7 pm cut-off point.
Labelled a “monster in defence” by Crystal Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, Guehi has made five appearances this term despite uncertainty over his future, helping the Eagles secure Europa Conference League qualification.
Last term, he won 69 aerial duels and 34 tackles on Premier League duty, per Fotmob, which has unsurprisingly made him one of the transfer market’s most wanted men with time ticking before the close of play.
Liverpool want to make a statement to aid their bid for another title and Guehi could now be within touching distance for those within the corridors of power at Anfield.
It has been an alarming start to the brand new Premier League season for Aston Villa.
Unai Emery’s men remain without a win after their first three drab contests in the tough division, with zero goals tallied up, as their latest defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace sounded the alarm bells even more, considering the Eagles wiped the floor with the Villans on their own patch 3-0.
Still, Emery will know he can turn it around at the Villa Park helm, with a bumper 76 wins under his belt, managing the West Midlands outfit.
He will also be helped by some flashy new additions that entered the building on deadline day, as both Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho now try to boost a forlorn Villa side on loan.
Aston Villa's exciting deadline day additions
After all, Villa have won very recently when it comes to getting the very best out of a loanee from a Premier League rival, with Marcus Rashford linking up with Emery and Co. last season from Manchester United to pick up a hefty ten goal contributions from 17 appearances.
Sancho will be hoping he can have a similar positive impact on proceedings, donning his new claret and blue, having just come off a promising campaign at Chelsea when loaned away from Old Trafford, where he mustered up his own impressive tally of five strikes and ten assists from 42 clashes.
For a star that was once worth £73m when entering the Theatre of Dreams, it will all centre on him trying to salvage his faltering playing days even more under Emery’s wing, with his estimated valuation now sitting at a far lower £27m, as per Football Transfers.
For £8m more, Villa could well welcome Elliott permanently after his initial loan stint is up from Liverpool, with a £35m obligation to buy having been included as part of the deal. That is in line with his current market valuation of around £34m.
This doesn’t feel like an extortionate amount to fork out either, considering the two-time Premier League winner can boast 15 goal contributions in the challenging league, despite only making just 35 starts for the Reds in the division.
Away from the plethora of new buys arriving in the West Midlands, Emery will also know he has some individuals in his side already that can deliver on the big stage, irrespective of his team’s limp opening to the campaign.
The Aston Villa star worth more than Sancho & Elliott
The former Arsenal boss has been a transformative presence for many a Villans star since he arrived at the club in 2022.
Indeed, Morgan Rogers has been turned into a Premier League superstar under the Spaniard’s expertise, with a bumper 17 goals and 17 assists next to his name for the claret and blue half of Birmingham.
Subsequently, the recent PFA Young Player of the Year recipient has been touted to step away from Villa Park for a whopping £100m, amid interest from the likes of Arsenal, despite only joining at the start of 2024 for a meagre £8m.
Amazingly, Ollie Watkins also joined the Villans back in 2020 for a reasonable £28m, with the experienced attacker now a feared Premier League goal machine for Emery’s men when performing to the peak of his powers.
Watkins has never looked back since deserting Brentford, having now amassed a mammoth 75 Premier League strikes for Villa, which has led to the 5-foot-11 marksman being dubbed as “unbelievable” by ex-Villa player Stephen Warnock, on top of being heralded as a “machine” Brentford’s programme editor, Chris Deacon.
Watkins’ rising value
Season
Goals + Assists
Transfer value
24/25
17 +14
£55m
23/24
27 + 15
£44m
22/23
16 + 6
£43m
21/22
11 + 2
£29m
20/21
16 + 5
£29m
via Transfermarkt/Football Transfers
Off the back of being consistently red-hot in front of goal, as seen glancing at his blistering numbers above, Watkins’ own estimated valuation now comes in at a mammoth £55m, as per Football Transfers, making him a more pricey asset than his compatriots, Elliott and Sancho, despite their esteemed reputations.
The 29-year-old has fired some uncharacteristic blanks so far this season, but there is hope he can turn it around.
With both Elliott and Sancho through the door, Emery has some fresh, exciting attacking personnel to experiment with, alongside his attempts to get the very best out of the Villa old guard again.
Rogers 2.0: Aston Villa close in on another exciting signing after Sancho
Aston Villa are hunting for deadline day reinforcements
Syed Abid Ali, who represented India in 29 Tests from 1967 to 1974, has died in California aged 83.A medium pacer who was renowned for his high standards of fielding and lightning-fast running between the wickets, one of Abid Ali’s greatest moments on the cricket field came with the bat: he hit the winning runs for India from No. 8 at The Oval in 1971 to give India their first series triumph in England.These runs came via a “square cut that never reached the boundary as it was engulfed by jubilant supporters charging onto the ground”, as had been reported on ESPNcricinfo.Abid Ali also played five ODIs between 1974 and 1975, which also happened to be India’s first five ODIs.Related
Rewind To 1971: India's day of glory at The Oval
Ask Steven: Who was once no-balled for throwing in a Test?
He finished with 47 wickets from his 29 Tests, including career-best figures of 6 for 55 in his debut innings against Australia in Adelaide. His medium pace came with enough variations to test batters. He also recorded six Test-match fifties, including twin fifties in Sydney later in that debut series.It could be argued that he was an allrounder, given that those two fifties came as an opener, and he batted at the top of the order in 21 of his 53 Test innings and scored 1018 runs at an average of 20.36 in his Test career. Those fifties in Sydney included “cavalier treatment of the new ball,” the match report said. Overall, he batted across the order for India, everywhere barring Nos. 4, 10 and 11.Then, there were his impressive fitness levels and fielding. His ESPNcricinfo profile sums it up thus: “Abid Ali had the feet of a sprinter, the energy of a marathon runner and the will of a decathlete, but his misfortune was that he was born 20 years too early. His game was made to order for one-day cricket: he bowled brisk medium-pace, fielded outstandingly, and was a busy lower-order batsman who ran between the wickets as if on invisible skates.”His focus on fitness came at a time when it was not the norm in cricket, and helped him gain a reputation both as a close-in fielder and for his spot-on flat throws from the outfield. Former ESPNcricinfo columnist V Ramnarayan, who was a young cricketer in the Hyderabad domestic circles when Abid Ali was in his prime, wrote of him: “The punishing regimen of training he followed was often the subject of anecdotes, wildly exaggerated and embellished, but perfect entertainment in the evening after a long day at the ground.”Syed Abid Ali during his stint coaching UAE•AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images
He was also quite a bit of a character. Ramnarayan wrote: “He was demonstrative in an age when most bowlers tended to hide their emotions. His appeals to God when he beat the edge, and his sardonic grins at batsmen blessed by the Lord – unfairly in Abid’s opinion – were sights to see and remember.”He was once no-balled for throwing in a Test match against New Zealand in Christchurch, but his blatant chucking apparently came in protest against Gary Bartlett having taken a six-for with an action that the Indian team felt was suspect.Abid Ali never went on to establish himself as a premier name in Indian cricket, in part because he had the misfortune of being a bowler in the era of India’s famous spin quartet. He was a mainstay for Hyderabad, though, playing 212 first-class games across 20 seasons, taking 397 wickets at 28.55 and scoring 8732 runs with 13 hundreds and 41 fifties. He played his last Test match in December 1974, his last ODI in June 1975, and his last first-class game in 1978-79.”Shri Syed Abid Ali was a true allrounder, a cricketer who embodied the spirit of the game,” BCCI president Roger Binny said in a statement. “His contributions to India’s historic victories in the 1970s will always be remembered. His dedication and versatility made him stand out. My deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”After his playing days, Abid Ali went on to coach Andhra at the Ranji Trophy, and also had stints with UAE and Maldives. At the time of his death, he was living in Tracy, California, with his family.
A derrota por 3 a 0 diante do Independiente del Valle eliminou o Corinthians da Libertadores, mas para Vanderlei Luxemburgo, a temporada do clube não pode ser baseada apenas pelo desempenho na competição continental.
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+ Del Valle expõe bagunça coletiva do Corinthians, que dá adeus à Libertadores; veja notas
O treinador corintiano disse entender a insatisfação dos torcedores e explicou que a desvantagem do Timão em todas as competições deixou o elenco no limite emocional, afetando diretamente a performance da equipe.
– Se basear apenas na Libertadores é complicado. Estamos em uma crescente, fizemos bons jogos, tivemos condições de buscar um crescimento geral. Maio foi um mês que estivemos em desvantagem nas competições, e isso é um desgaste emocional e psicológico muito grande. Entendemos a razão do torcedor, que quer ver o time ganhar, faz parte do futebol. No Corinthians quando as coisas não caminham bem, eles vêm cobrar forte. Vamos continuar trabalhando forte – disse o treinador na coletiva de imprensa.
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+ Não perca nenhum lance do Timão na Liberta. Assine o Star+ por apenas R$40,90 por mês e torça onde quiser!
Luxa citou a partida contra o Fluminense para exemplicar a melhora do Corinthians nos últimos dias, mas reconheceu a superioridade do Del Valle e lamentou a eliminação precoce na Libertadores.
– Nos recuperamos contra o Fluminense e hoje não conseguimos jogar fora de casa, contra um adversário bem treinado, está junto há bastante tempo. Corinthians não fez uma campanha na Libertadores que objetivasse a classificação. Tivemos até expectativa de conquistar a classificação, mas infelizmente não deu – lamentou.
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Luxemburgo se mostrou satisfeito com o elenco alvinegro e voltou a citar o desgaste físico e mental como um dos motivos pela queda do Timão na competição.
– Futebol é analisado o momento, e não analisam o contexto. Estou satisfeito com o grupo, estão dando uma resposta e estão querendo. Tem diversas frentes, vai equilibrando algumas questões, mas tem desgaste físico, emocional, mental, uma série de coisas que faz você ter qualidade. – iniciou.
– Quando você está muito atrás, como o Corinthians, a cobrança é muito maior, o desgaste é maior. O próximo jogo sempre é mais difícil pelo desgaste. Não existe esmorecimento, jogador contra jogador. Tem um processo que estamos buscando crescimento, demos resposta na Copa do Brasil – analisou.
+ Veja tabela e os próximos jogos do Corinthians na Libertadores
O Corinthians ainda luta por uma vaga nos playoffs da Sul-Americana. Para isso, precisa empatar ou vencer o Liverpool-URU, na Neo Química Arena, na rodada final da fase de grupos da Libertadores. No momento, ambas equipes estão empatados com quatro pontos, mas o time de Luxemburgo leva vantagem no saldo de gols.
VEJA OUTRAS RESPOSTAS DE LUXEMBURGO
TIRAR TITULARES APÓS TERCEIRO GOL DO DEL VALLE – Dentro do jogo, quando fizeram 3 a 0, ficou difícil tirar o prejuízo hoje, ali era pensar no Cuiabá. Se a gente tivesse feito um gol, era diferente. Mas eles fizeram o terceiro e com domínio. Temos um jogo em casa e agora é pedir ao torcedor para que tenha paciência. Ele quer ver o time ganhar, mas vamos chegar em cima, um jogo que exige uma concentração maior, um desgaste de viagem. Vamos pensar na vitória, tentar respirar e sair da zona da confusão.
ANÁLISE DO DEL VALLE – A gente tem uma linha de não enaltecer o adversário. Eles jogaram com um atacante só, preencheram campo, e nós não encaixamos a marcação, deixamos espaço. Observei antes do jogo que fariam isso, mas teríamos encaixe, mas hoje o adversário foi suoperior. No segundo tempo, coloquei o Roni, preenchemos o meio e conseguimos um gol que foi anulado, depois sofremos o terceiro.
Glasgow Rangers are not in the position they want to be in. They failed to qualify for the Champions League, dropping into the Europa League, and are yet to win their first game in the Scottish Premiership.
A clash with their city rivals on Sunday does not provide much hope that the first win in the league campaign will come before the first international break, particularly after a 6-0 thumping against Club Brugge.
Despite some supporters calling for the club to take action on the head coach, Russell Martin has the backing of the board and will be in the dugout at Ibrox this weekend.
The Light Blues board are doing more than just backing the former Southampton boss with their word, too, as they are making moves in the transfer market to improve the team.
Rangers have reportedly agreed a deal with Girona to sign Macedonia international Bojan Miovski in a permanent deal that could be worth up to £4.2m.
The centre-forward is set to undergo a medical with the Scottish giants on Friday before his official unveiling, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to play a part against Celtic.
What Bojan Miovski will bring to Rangers
With Hamza Igamane due to sign for French side Lille, Rangers needed to add more goals to their team before the end of the summer transfer window on Monday.
The Morocco international scored 12 goals in the Scottish Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, whilst playing on the left flank or through the middle as a striker, and Miovski is the calibre of player who can replace the goals that they are set to lose through Igamane’s exit.
His form for Aberdeen in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons shows that the left-footed number nine knows how to score goals on a regular basis in Scottish football, and that he may not need much time to get going at Ibrox, as the forward is already used to the country and league.
Miovski, who also has experience of scoring at Ibrox against Rangers, plundered 32 goals in two seasons in the Premiership with the Dons, per Sofascore.
xG
15.60
17.08
xG on target
18.36
17.60
Goals
16
16
Shots on target
36
44
Chances created
27
23
Assists
2
2
As you can see in the table above, his xG on target was higher than his xG in both of his seasons in the division, which shows that he is a clinical striker who can consistently produce high-quality shots on goal.
Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski.
This is why this signing could be perfect for Rangers in their hunt to replace the goals that they will lose with Igamane’s move to Lille in the coming days.
Rangers in talks to sign Premier League talent
Miovski may not be the only signing to come through the door before the deadline, though, as the club are looking at another experienced talent who could be just as important as the striker.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to journalist Santi Aouna, Glasgow Rangers are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign goalkeeper Illan Meslier from Leeds United this summer.
The report claims that the Scottish giants are in talks with the Premier League side over a possible move for the Frenchman, although it is unclear if the discussions are centred around a loan or a permanent transfer.
Leeds United's IllanMesliercelebrates after the match
Aouna adds, though, that Valencia and Lorient are also interested in signing the left-footed stopper, which means that there is plenty of competition for his signature.
Valencia are said to have made him their number one target, but must first sell Stole Dimitrievski, and Lorient have already made their first offer to Leeds.
Why Meslier could be an important signing for Rangers
At face value, it would be understandable if this is a link that does not generate much excitement from supporters. Ultimately, Meslier is currently the third choice at Elland Road after being dropped towards the end of last season.
The 25-year-old goalkeeper conceded 2.73 goals more than expected, based on the xG against him, in the Championship last term, which shows that he was not good enough as a shot-stopper despite his haul of 21 clean sheets, per Sofascore.
Leeds United's IllanMeslierreacts
However, there are other aspects of Meslier’s game that could be well-suited to what Rangers need between the sticks, particularly if they continue to back Martin as the head coach, and he could be just as important as Miovski.
Because of the way that the defence is set up, the Gers need a goalkeeper who is proactive when coming off his line and willing to come out to sweep outside of the box as well as coming out to collect crosses.
The goal above, whilst not being solely Jack Butland’s fault, shows that the Rangers number one is not comfortable playing the role that is being asked of him, as he got caught between staying and coming out.
Butland is an old-fashioned goalkeeper who sticks to his line and looks to make saves, rather than being amazing with the ball at his feet or in other areas of goalkeeping, which may be why Meslier could be an upgrade on him, despite his flaws as a shot-stopper.
Post-shot xG minus goals conceded*
-0.04
+0.01
Save percentage
64.9%
72.8%
Percentage of crosses stopped
4.2%
9.4%
Defensive actions outside the penalty area
0.40
0.86
Average distance of defensive actions
12.4 yards
13.8 yards
Crosses stopped*
0.70
0.81
As you can see in the table above, the Leeds outcast could be just as important as Miovski for Rangers because he could also arrive as an upgrade in a key position for Martin.
The £30k-per-week gem appears to have the mentality and the quality to perform far better than Butland as a sweeper-keeper for the Gers, whilst also enjoying a much higher save success rate and claiming a higher percentage of the crosses into his box.
Leeds United's IllanMesliercelebrates
This means that he may prevent Rangers from facing as many shots as they currently are by coming off his line to stop crosses from reaching attackers and through balls from creating chances out wide or through the middle.
Therefore, Meslier could be a very important signing to make the style more effective from a defensive perspective, just as is the case with Miovski from an attacking perspective.
He could revive Raskin: Rangers in the race to sign "versatile" £1m talent
After both Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomandé were left on the bench in Brugge, are Rangers about to sign a “versatile” midfielder valued at £1m?
كشف كيليان مبابي، نجم نادي ريال مدريد، عن الفارق بين المدير الفني الحالي للفريق، تشابي ألونسو، والمدرب الذي سبقه كارلو أنشيلوتي، وهو الذي أشرف على تدريب الدولي الفرنسي خلال الموسم الماضي.
أنشيلوتي كان مدرب ريال مدريد طوال السنوات الأربع الأخيرة، لكن المدير الفني الإيطالي ترك الفريق الملكي بنهاية الموسم الماضي من أجل تدريب منتخب البرازيل.
وعين ريال مدريد تشابي ألونسو ليكون المدير الفني الجديد للفريق الملكي، وذلك بعقد مدته ثلاث سنوات.
اقرأ أيضًا .. مبابي: راموس كان قائدًا حقيقيًا.. وهذا ما قلته قبل نهائي مونديال 2018
وقال مبابي في مقابلة مع موفيستار عن الفارق بين ألونسو وأنشيلوتي: ”إنهما شخصان مختلفان وعاشا تجارب مختلفة. أنشيلوتي من أفضل المدربين في التاريخ وهو مدرب يدخل البهجة إلى غرفة ملابسه. إنه شخص قريب من اللاعبين دائمًا ويسعى دائمًا لمساعدتهم”.
وأضاف: ”تشابي أيضًا يرغب كثيرًا في المساعدة، لكنه مدرب أصغر سنًا وشخص لا يزال بحاجة إلى إثبات جدارته أكثر من كارلو. كارلو ليس بحاجة لإثبات أي شيء (يضحك) تشابي أصغر سنًا بكثير، ويمكنك أن ترى أنه حريص على إثبات نفسه وتحقيق النجاح مع ريال مدريد”.
وأوضح مبابي في حديثه: ”هذه أول فرصة كبيرة لتشابي ألونسو في أفضل ناد في العالم، سنحاول مساعدته ونسعى جاهدين لتحقيق ما يريده منا، ونهدف إلى الفوز بأكبر عدد ممكن من الألقاب لريال مدريد”.
وعن علاقته مع فينيسيوس جونيور أردف مبابي: ”نحن لاعبان مشهوران في فريق واحد وهذا ما يروج له إعلاميًا. في الواقع علاقتي به ممتازة، تحسنت كثيرًا هذا العام لأننا أصبحنا نعرف بعضنا البعض بشكل أفضل. إنه لاعب رائع وشخصيته ممتازة”.
وعن الفرق بين ريال مدريد وباريس سان جيرمان أجاب: ”الفرق الوحيد هو أن ريال مدريد أفضل نادي في العالم، لقد رأيت جميع اللاعبين الذين تألقوا والألقاب التي فازوا بها وأنت تمارس ضغطًا على نفسك لتحقيق النجاح، أنا معتاد على ضغط الآخرين، لكنك تخبر نفسك وتقول أنا في أفضل نادي في العالم وعلي الفوز وأن أكون قدوة لزملائي وللناس”.
وعن عدم انتقاله لريال مدريد عام 2017 واختيار التوقيع لباريس سان جيرمان واصل مبابي: ”عندما غادرت موناكو كان لدي هدف واضح وهو أن استمر في اللعب ، كان عمري 18 عامًا فقط وريال مدريد كان يمتلك كريم بنزيما، وكريستيانو رونالدو، وجاريث بيل، لم أركن أرغب في أن أكون بديلًا”.
واستكمل: ”قدمت العديد من الأندية الأوروبية عروضا لي وقدموا لي ضمانات بأنني سوف ألعب، لكن في ريال مدريد لم يكن هذا الخيار ممكنًا في هذا الوقت، حلمت كثيرًا باللعب لهذا النادي لكنني أردت اللعب أساسيًا”.
واستطرد: ”قضيت سبع سنوات رائعة في باريس سان جيرمان وكانت تجربة مذهلة حقًا، لكن في النهاية كان لدي حلم اللعب لريال مدريد منذ أن كنت طفلًا وقد حققت هذا الحلم، لذلك أنا سعيد”.
وعن ما إذا كانت كرة القدم قد تغيرت عن السابق اختتم مبابي: ”نعم، أصبحت الأمور الآن أكثر منهجية وتكتيكية وللمدربين تأثير أكبر على أداء الفريق. في الماضي كان للاعبين تأثير أكبر أما الآن فنرى بصمة المدرب في كل فريق. إنه تغيير مفيد لكرة القدم لأنه يتيح لمزيد من اللاعبين فرصة اللعب في فرق كبيرة”.
Much of the aftermath of Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium focused on the cautious tactics of the hosts, somehow ignoring that it was the visitors who resorted to park-the-bus mechanisms in order to try and grind out a win. In the end, neither side truly deserved the victory and a point apiece seemed fair, but the performance from Pep Guardiola's men was strange in several ways.
Having lost 5-1 in this very same fixture back in February against a weaker Arsenal team than this, you can forgive City for returning to north London with the handbrake on. If they suffered another obliteration in that manner, they could already begin to kiss their Premier League title dreams goodbye.
In order to prevent this, Guardiola set out his stall in a far more conservative manner than ever before. Given Mikel Arteta had also picked a starting lineup showing a bit too much respect, City were actually good value for their 1-0 lead at half-time, hitting the Gunners with a killer counter which was expertly finished off by Erling Haaland. That excursion nine minutes in appeared to signal the end of their ambition, however, mustering up only one other chance of note from there on in. Nobody in blue could have any complaints about their barricades finally being breached by one straight ball over the top and a delectable dink from Gabriel Martinelli.
It begs the question over where City are going. Are they actually serious contenders or are they still way behind in their rebuild? Can Guardiola reinvent himself to keep up with this new wave of managers?
AFP
Breaking records in Arsenal draw
Not only did City's performance fail the smell test with a wild whiff, but the numbers and stats back it up. The 32.% possession that his side recorded on Sunday was the lowest-ever for a Guardiola team. The extra wrinkle is this was done with the full 11 men on the pitch.
In his post-match press conference, Guardiola claimed it was not exactly by design for City to stand off Arsenal so much, rather Arteta's outfit had outwitted them and forced such a change. "I can't live in this country with another record!" Guardiola laughed. "I'm so proud of it. You have to give Arsenal a lot of credit. One time in ten years is not bad, eh? I have to prove myself again with a different strategy. So, now I have a transition team. I said I don't give a f*ck about the results, I want to see the spirit back in the training sessions and us enjoying. After that is tactics. We lost it last season and we had to recover. This week we have recovered. We have to continue. And from there we will, learn the process, the tactics, our way we feel more comfortable to win games and be proud of ourselves."
When asked whether there was a sense of enjoyment at his team effectively sh*thousing their way to a result, Guardiola shook and replied: "I suffered! I want the ball to be closer to [David] Raya, not Gigi [Donnarumma]."
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Donnarumma hint
While on the subject of Donnarumma, it's important to remember exactly why he was signed. Sure, he's an excellent shot-stopper and an imposing presence, but he's the polar opposite profile to his predecessor, Ederson. The manic Brazilian was arguably the world's best goalkeeper with the ball at his feet, someone capable of playing short and long. It even got a point where people asked if he was talented enough to play in midfield rather than between the sticks.
The pivot to Donnarumma isn't accidental. Well, at least in theory. The Italian treats the ball like a hot potato when asked to pass it, which is part of the reason why Paris Saint-Germain were happy to move him on despite last season's heroics en route to their first Champions League triumph.
"I wouldn't demand Gigi to do something he is uncomfortable with," Guardiola confirmed after his arrival. "We aren't asking Gigi to do what Ederson has done… it's not about undermining the other one. They are different."
In short, City are moving on from their days as a team who solely play from the back. They cannot count on the goalkeeper as an extra outfielder anymore. To properly utilise Donnarumma, they are almost asking opposition teams to pile more pressure on in their own box.
Guardiola's continued insistence on using the technically-limited Abdukodir Khusanov as a right-back speaks similar volumes, with the Uzbekistan international one of City's best players in the first half against Arsenal before being withdrawn at the break.
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Squad unsuited to new tactics
Nevertheless, City remain a work in progress, not only in their roster reconstruction but in adapting to a totally new way of playing. To their credit, they limited Arsenal to very few chances at the weekend, particularly as the clock wound down and they sought to waste as much time as possible, yet they were still undone. The instinct of their star players to push higher and squeeze the game afforded Martinelli the space to run into, and he made them pay with the equaliser. This way of playing has historically been the way to combat Guardiola's City. He and his players have continually bemoaned such tactics, so it's interesting that the roles have been reversed.
Perhaps more than any other player in the squad, 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri has not been afraid to share his views on what he deems negative football. After City were eliminated by Real Madrid on penalties at the quarter-final stage of the 2023-24 Champions League, he said: "To be honest, I saw only one team. In terms of defending, they defended (well). They knew how to suffer and we know how tough Real Madrid are. But in my opinion we should go through with that amount of chances but this is the trick of this competition."
Similarly scything quotes went viral across Europe a year earlier when his Spain side were beaten by Scotland in a European Championship qualifier, with the midfielder then commenting: "It's the way they play – for me it's a bit rubbish. It's always wasting time, they provoke you, they always fall. For me, this is not football. The referee has to take a part in this but he said nothing. It's a bit frustrating because we want to win and it's difficult because they waste time, waste time. It is what it is."
Taking off Erling Haaland and playing up to six defenders at any given point was such an outwardly negative move that it took even the Norwegian scoring sensation by surprise. We don't know what the opinions of the entire City squad are on their game-plan for the Arsenal draw, but maybe those thoughts don't even matter if they simply aren't up to scratch with them anyway.
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Collapse since 2023-24
Ironically, Rodri's absence through an ACL injury was largely seen as the main reason behind City's decline last season. Without their midfield anchor, quite literally one crowned as the best player in the world, they split open like a sieve out of possession and lost all sense of equilibrium. In that sense, it's a fair assessment, but one man can't be the reason for a team that had just won four titles in a row falling apart in such dramatic fashion.
We now have a decent enough sample size to say City are nowhere near the level of those previous winners. They had already lost Kevin De Bruyne in spirit last year with the midfielder ageing and entering a different stage of his career, and they haven't come close to finding someone to replace that creative void.
City used to be relentless, maybe only bettered by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool in that department, but they've lost that edge. Following the Arsenal draw, Guardiola and Bernardo Silva both bemoaned the schedule. It's true that this increased number of games will inevitably hamper a team's intensity, though that then begs the question of why the manager was so eager to trim his squad down from twenties into the teens. They had become used to winning for so long that they seemingly forgot how to reinvent and stay with the times, thus bringing about Guardiola's belated change to transitional tactics.
Celtic head into the first international break of the season off the back of a disappointing performance in the Scottish Premiership against their city rivals.
The Hoops travelled away from Parkhead to take on Russell Martin’s Rangers side at Ibrox on Sunday, and were held to a drab 0-0 draw in the derby clash.
There were a number of disappointing performers across the park for Brendan Rodgers in the bore-draw, including Benjamin Nygren on the right flank.
Benjamin Nygren's performance in numbers
The Sweden international has mainly played on the right of the midfield three for the Hoops since his move to the club in the summer, but the manager opted to play him on the right wing ahead of Hyun-jun Yang and James Forrest.
Unfortunately, Nygren failed to offer much of a threat up against the pacey Jayden Meghoma at left-back for Rangers, failing with all five of his attempted dribbles. He ended the 90 minutes with zero key passes and zero shots on target, per Sofascore, which speaks to his lack of impact on the game.
The left-footed star did, however, work his socks off out of possession to help his team out defensively, winning nine duels and making six tackles and one interception, per Sofascore.
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Whilst Nygren’s performance lacked a cutting edge at the top end of the pitch, Rodgers can still be pleased with his physical and defensive contributions, which cannot be said for Arne Engels.
Why Arne Engels should be dropped
The Belgium international was brought into the midfield three for this game, thanks to Nygren’s move to the right wing, but did not do enough to suggest that he should keep his place.
Rodgers must ruthlessly ditch the former Augsburg man for the clash with Kilmarnock after the international break because he was poor in and out of possession against Rangers in midfield.
The club-record signing played alongside Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor in the middle of the park and did not offer any creativity or a goal threat on the ball.
Minutes
65
Pass accuracy
76%
Big chances created
0
Crosses completed
0/2
Shots
0
Ground duels won
1/7
Aerial duels won
1/3
Tackles + interceptions
0
As you can see in the table above, Engels did not create anything of note for his side and was incredibly weak out of possession, losing eight of his ten physical duels.
This shows that the Rangers midfielders, Mohamed Diomande and Connor Barron, found it far too easy to get the better of him in midfield in physical battles for the ball, and shows that he was even worse than Nygren, who found success in his defensive actions.
Sky Sports commentator Ian Crocker noted that the Belgium international “offered little” for Celtic before he was substituted by Rodgers in the 65th minute of the match, with Forrest coming on so that the Swedish ace could play in that right-sided midfield role.
This suggests that the manager felt that Nygren was better suited to seeing out the game in the position that Engels was hoping to impress in, which says a lot about who the preferred option in that role may be when they play Kilmarnock in a fortnight.
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Therefore, Rodgers should be looking to ruthlessly ditch Engels from the starting XI after he flopped at Ibrox, moving Nygren back into his central midfield berth.
They were found one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration, the ICC said
PTI20-Feb-2025The Pakistan players were fined 5% of their match fee on Thursday for maintaining a slow over-rate during their match against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener at the National Stadium in Karachi.The tournament hosts and defending champions lost to New Zealand by 60 runs on Wednesday, and were later found one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration, the ICC said.While on-field umpires Richard Kettleborough and Sharfuddoula, third umpire Joel Wilson, and fourth umpire Alex Wharf levelled the charge, match referee Andy Pycroft imposed the sanction.Related
Pakistan penalised for slow over-rate for fourth time in five ODIs
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Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan pleaded guilty to the offence with no formal hearing required thereafter.In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 5% of their match fee for every over if their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.Pakistan had suffered another blow on Thursday, with Fakhar Zaman ruled out of the rest of the tournament with injury. Imam-ul-Haq has been approved by the ICC as Fakhar’s replacement. They will next face India in Dubai on Sunday.
Manchester United are now planning to smash their transfer record for a £100m “powerhouse” in 2026, having identified him as their prime target for Ruben Amorim’s system.
INEOS' decision to appoint Amorim questioned by Carragher
It has been far from an ideal start to the new season for Man United, having been dumped out of the EFL Cup by Grimsby Town, and won just one of their first three Premier League games, and Jamie Carragher has now questioned the decision to appoint Ruben Amorim.
Speaking on a new edition of The Overlap (47:39), the Liverpool legend claimed the board are to blame for hiring Amorim, given that they always knew he was going to instill a three-at-the-back system.
Carragher said: “So Manchester United right now, let’s say they’re a team in the middle of the table quality-wise, so they get asked questions defensively, at this moment the manager can’t answer. It’s too easy to play against.
“That’s my thing, but he’s never gonna change. So when we keep saying change, and I do think Manchester United have the players to play 4-3-3 more, you’re asking a manager who doesn’t believe in something to do something. That’s his thing – the guy that brought him in, it’s his fault.”
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The three-at-the-back system clearly isn’t working, with Amorim averaging just 1.37 points per match since arriving at Old Trafford, but INEOS are continuing to search for players who they believe would be a perfect fit in the formation.
That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Man United are now planning to smash their existing transfer record with a £100m+ move for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba in 2026.
Baleba has been identified as a prime target to enhance Amorim’s system, and the Red Devils made contact in the summer to ensure Brighton are well-aware their interest is concrete, with the £100m+ asking price failing to deter them.
"Powerhouse" Baleba would be statement signing for Man Utd
Despite their struggles last season, United had no trouble competing for some highly sought-after players in the summer, winning the race for Benjamin Sesko, despite Newcastle United being well-known to hold an interest.
As such, Amorim’s side may still stand a chance of being able to sign the Brighton star, who would be a real statement signing, having made a name for himself with the Seagulls over the past three seasons.
Journalist Ryan Adsett was left particularly enamoured by the 21-year-old’s performances in the 2023-24 campaign, saying: “Carlos Baleba isn’t a Moisés Caicedo replacement. He’s very different – an agile powerhouse in midfield. Very entertaining watch, strong in the tackle and more than comfortable on the ball.”
With United identifying Baleba as an ideal fit in Amorim’s system, it is little wonder they are planning to make a huge bid, but it remains to be seen whether the Portuguese manager can make it to the January transfer window…